Several Olive Branch residents were recently elected to leadership positions in the local Civitan Club, and have begun managing the club's charitable projects in the area.

The club helps people of all ages who are developmentally disabled through a variety of community service projects in DeSoto County, including hosting a weekly bowling event at Strike Zone Lanes for all families with a child who has special needs, providing an annual scholarship to a graduating high school senior who will be attending Northwest Mississippi Community College and by collecting money from candy boxes in local restaurants to help provide money for local and national Civitan projects.

The officers look forward to growing the club's membership and to continue working in the community to provide services for people of all ages with developmental disabilities and supporting the efforts of the Junior Civitan Club.

Civitan International is an organization of community service clubs with roughly 40,000 members across four continents. Each club works to help others and fulfill needs in their community, with a special emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities. Civitans continue this mission through fundraising for the UAB Civitan International Research Center, a world-class medical facility dedicated to researching developmental disabilities and other cognitive disorders. For more information, visit civitan.org or call 1-800-CIVITAN.

The DeSoto County group meets at the Olive Branch McAllister's on the first Wednesday of each month at noon. The public is invited to help continue to make a difference in the local community.